


As a man loves a woman.

by TheCosmicOwl7



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Latin Hetalia - Fandom
Genre: ? - Freeform, HRE is Germany, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-17
Updated: 2013-10-17
Packaged: 2017-12-29 16:06:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1007374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCosmicOwl7/pseuds/TheCosmicOwl7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: Holy Roman Empire observes the beauty and in-obstructive nature of his darling Italy. It was long ago that he came to terms with his love for her, but it is now, 30 years after their confessions that he is mature enough to realize that she is more than a beautiful country, but also a beautiful, free spirited young woman who he wishes to propose to and that he does. <br/>(Multiple chapter fic.) “To be fond of dancing is a certain step towards falling in love”</p>
            </blockquote>





	As a man loves a woman.

May, 1525:  
Holy Roman Empire escaped the nauseating party with one hand raised massaging his temple and the other supporting himself as he leaned against the balcony railing. He’d been home only two days and already he was working the diplomatic arena of aristocrats, royalty and people of high importance. These people may have been considered important by the humans, Austria and others who resided beneath his empire but to Holy Rome there was only one person he’d been yearning to see for the past forty eight hours. ‘Oh Italy, why can you not become apart of my empire? At least then you’d be free of Austrias ownership!’ Just as She emerged in his thoughts, she appeared, humming and swaying beneath him in the courtyard. She spun as if dancing with an invisible partner and it captured Holy Romes curiosity immediately. He watched her in awe. Italy was dancing, twirling around the courtyard terrace with her broom, humming along with the faint music that echoed from the ballroom just above. 

There was something in the way she danced. He had trained under the strict commandment of his Charge, Mr. Austria countless times and yet he could never dance the way she did. She appeared to look like an angel, in her white maids gown, fluttering about the room, unaware that he was watching her. She seemed to be existing without trying to exist, just being.

Like breath, an unconscious fulfillment of need. Everyone was dressed so elegantly but Italy was left to clean up after the lords and ladies of the house of Hapsburg, dancing beautifully, alone in the crisp air of the courtyard garden.

Italy—Well, Italy moved like a soft cloud on a lazy day. Soft but strong. Her steps were elegant and alluring with just the slightest hint of menace and determination affirming her toughness. Her beauty and calmness of step were evident with each turn and spin she took, while her hand seemed to cradle an invisible one and her other rested on an invisible shoulder. She was waltzing alone to the faint lull of the music from the ball. A care free wave of intense formality and a propriety that was as

moderate as a summer’s breeze, soft as a dream. He felt his heart flutter as she hummed a sprightly tune, spinning merrily around the garden with her imaginary dance partner. Holy Rome wondered who she was imagining as she twirled her self away from her imagined partner, outstretching her slender, willowy arm and giggling as she resumed her waltzing position.

Feli was a tempest, a gale. Unable to be captured or tamed, a thing of fluttering beauty that would

only slip through grasping fingertips. Like the exotic birds Mr. Austria kept, Italy was meant to be free.

Austria struggled with her, words falling on deaf ears. She was not to be tamed.

Her youthful disobedience, distractions, and desires drawing the attention of Holy Rome, who admired her stubborn and small acts of defiance. But now… Now she was a woman and when she danced, there was no doubt in his mind that she was never to be his, for she was and would always be a creature unattainable. Holy Rome found himself leaning further against the perfectly trimmed hedges to achieve a better view as she continued to dance about, her chocolate brown eyes fluttering closed as she hummed wistfully, dancing still, with her imaginary companion. He was so entranced by the sight, so in awe of her beauty that he promptly lost his balance and fell through the hedge. Holy Rome met the garden terrace with a small yelp and a thud, falling embarrassingly, only inches before a very surprised looking Italian.

“Oh my!” She gasped. Scrambling to his feet and brushing himself off, he eyed her shocked expression and began inwardly chastising himself. She must think me a peeping Tom! He thought, hating himself for lacking any form of an excuse. He simply stood before her, frozen, blushing furiously and searching his mind desperately hunting for an excuse.

“Er...I’m uh...I’m sorry” He stammered looking away from her expectant expression. He felt her eyes, which bore into him as he stood before her, having just fallen out of a hedge, he probably looked utterly deranged to her.   
“Why were you in the bushes Holy Roma?” She asked eyeing him nervously.

Think of something. Think. Think you idiot! His inner voice roared while he panicked for a solution.   
“I was wondering if you’d care to dance with me” He finally managed to blurt out, blushing even more intensely at his statement. He maintained his well trained, stoic expression, inspite of his blush which most likely crept from his pale face to the tips of his ears.

“Can this be true” She smiled excitedly, beaming at him as she stepped closer “It’s as if you’ve read my mind!” Stepping forward, her peculiar curl bobbed adorably off the side of her head as she founded forward, giggling cutely.   
“Reading your mind?” He asked. She really was an odd girl.

“I was just thinking of how I wished I could dance with you” She chirped, taking his hand as he guided her to the dance floor. Though he blushed at the fact that her imaginary dancing partner was in fact, him, he pushed it out of his mind as she guided him toward the fountain. Instead of bothering to tell her once again, that it isn’t possible for people to read minds, he simply assumed waltzing position and began to lead, stepping with her, elegantly in unison. There was an obvious difference between him and her while they danced, Holy Rome was focused, calculated and stiff while dancing, whereas Italy simply glided along, not thinking, simply dancing, with little effort or thought. Perhaps, that is how the two differ in general? Perhaps he loved her for she was everything he was not? He wondered idly as the pair spun about the garden in contented silence. There eyes stayed on each others, never looking away.

“I’m sorry that I’ll be leaving again tomorrow, but I’ll be back by the fortnight” He whispered, watching her expression carefully while still focusing on the steps and beat of the music. She smiled up at him sadly before replying “I’ll miss you very much Holy Roma,” He frowned at her expression which suddenly seemed to lack in it’s usual cheerfulness. “I will be back in a month though” He tried to encourage her to smile by smiling himself.   
“I know...I just worry that...” She stopped herself, looking down at their feet for the first time since they began dancing and they both noticed they had stopped moving entirely. her hands dropped and she sighed deeply “I could not bare to lose you...”   
He reached his hand up and tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes. They stared at each other for a moment before

He couldn’t help himself but wonder how it would be to kiss her once more, as they had when they were children. As he’d wanted to do since the moment he arrived home, but such behaviour was frowned upon by Austria, who saw Italy as nothing more than a worthless servant. He tentatively leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. She didn’t respond at first, but once she was over the shock of being suddenly kissed, she replied with equal ardor. He pulled away, blushing a little as she smiled sweetly up at him, bright, watery eyes twinkling and soft complexion glowing. She was his, but he knew he never could have her, not truly. He had suffered a great deal after the war, his lands divided up, his home sabotaged and his dignity and pride had diminished. Without her he would feel like a shell, empty and alone, alone to think of the dreams that had been destroyed and the scars that ravaged his body. She had always been his ultimate goal and yet he wasn’t sure if, after all this time, he still deserved her.   
“W-well we ought to go inside now...I’m sure they’re wondering where we are” He immediately hated himself for saying that but continued to gesture to the pathway back to the mansion.  
“Oh” She blinked, looking confused and disappointed “Si~” He sighed, offering her his hand. Italy perked up instantly at his offer, grasping his hand merrily as the pair made their way back to the Austrian estate in content silence.

When the pair finally approached the iron gates of Austrias estate, Holy Rome turned to his dearest Italy and found the courage to say what he wanted “Italia,” He began, feeling her soft fingers grasping his own rough ones tightly “Do you still remember the vow I made to you...all those years ago?”

She blinked, looking up at him as if in a trance “S-Si, but why do you ask Holy Roma?” He sighed looking down at her hands “Well I still mean it” He began “I will always love you and I have decided that I want to...” He trailed off feeling the butterflys return with full force in his stomach “I want...I” Sighing he cupped her cheek and plucked up the courage to look her in the eye “I’ve already given you my heart and I wish I could give you the world, the moon and the stars but I can not. I do wish to give you all of me though and I wish to take you as my bride, not as two Countries but as Me a Man and as you, a Woman,” He looked down and away and chuckled “I’m not good with speeches...if I loved you any less, I could speak of it more...but you know what I am. I have lectured you and scolded you and you have bore it like no other woman would. So tell me, my dearest Italy, do I have a fighting chance?”

“Can this be true?” She gaped up at him in disbelief. And he answered dutifully, honestly in return “Of Course, you will get nothing but the truth from me” He nodded, expecting her to run away, disgusted and through with him, but instead she reacted as he’d dreamt she would.

She gaped at him for a moment before lunging forward and collapsing into his chest, great bouts of laughter rippling past supple lips. “I-Italia-”  
“Si! Si! Oh Ludwig! SI!”

He didn’t mind never claiming her lands, so long as he could claim her heart, as she had claimed his the very moment they’d met.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
AN: Hope you all enjoyed it, I have written a few other parts to this but it's still under construction.   
I tried to make this mildly historically accurate-especially the fact that is often ignored that Italy was once apart of the HRE and while under Austria it technically-in a way was. Never by Italy's will, was Italy apart of it, except for maybe the 11th-12th century under Fredrick the great/Holy Roman Emporer of Sicily. Long story short Holy Rome did go away but he historically would have seen Italy before his death in 1806. He tried to repair himself after the 30 years war but never fully recovered leaving him often sick and weak-but still actively trying to recover his empire.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys liked it, I'm working on making this an entire series. I don't know how far I'll go, but perhaps this could be more than six chapters. Give me feedback and I'll take your thoughts into consideration when I'm writing, I appreciate criticism, no matter how harsh!


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